Gary Ruley and Mule Train

Gary Ruley and Mule Train
Gary Ruley playing at The Southern Inn in Lexington, Virginia December 26, 2008
Background information
Origin	Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States
Genres	Folk, Country, Americana, Bluegrass, Jazz
Website	Official Site
Members	Gary Ruley Danny Knicely Will Lee Brennan Gilmore David Knicely Ann Marie Calhoun (née Simpson) Mary Simpson Ronald "Rooster" Ruley Jeremiah Ruley Larry Keel Jenny Keel Nate Leath Shannon Wheeler

Gary Ruley and Mule Train is an acoustic bluegrass band based in Lexington, Virginia who also play New Grass and Jazz music.

Gary Ruley was born into a musical family in Lexington, Virginia, and first performed publicly at ten. He has performed with his father, Pat Ruley, his brother, Ronald "Rooster" Ruley, and his son, Jeremiah Ruley. "Sisters Sandy, Sue and Kathy . . were strong musicians in their own rights." The strong musical tradition of his hometown rooted the musical Ruley family in bluegrass and mountain music. The Ruleys were "ahead of the curve that became the explosion of bluegrass popularity commencing in the mid-1970s." Gary's musical journey was launched by many performances at a young age singing and flatpicking in and around Lexington, which was at the time a “hotbed of nightly entertainment of live acoustic music. Many nights would feature four or five different bands performing at various venues.”

He grew up performing with diverse musicians for functions at Washington and Lee University, Virginia Military Institute, The University of Virginia, and various weddings and socials.

Gary Ruley's flat picking has earned him honors and awards at numerous festivals, and made him much sought-after regionally.

He has played with many of the greats of the bluegrass genre—including those associated with the "first-generation" bluegrass legends, such as Bill Monroe's fiddle player, Bobby Lester, as well as Buddy Pendleton who performed with Monroe, and Mac Wiseman who played with both Monroe and Earl Flatt and Lester Scruggs. He's also played with Ricky Lee—Will Lee’s father—who played with Ralph Stanley, as well as Doc Watson’s partner Jack Lawrence. He's appeared with John Starling of Seldom Scene, Mike Seeger, Tony Rice, and the late Vassar Clements. He has also picked with some of the newer generation bluegrass greats such as Darol Anger, two-time Grammy Winner Curtis Burch of New Grass Revival, and opened for Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder (Skaggs himself joined Ralph Stanley's band as a teenager).